Electromechanical connection



Aug. 24; 1943. P. H. CRAIG I ELEGTBOMECHANICAL CONNECTION Filed Dec. 10. 1941 S INVENTOR. Pa/mer Ufa/j 55 X221 ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 24, 1943 2,327,622

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTROMECHANICAL comvwrron Palmer H. Craig, Shaker Heights, Ohio, assignor to Invex Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of New York Application December 10, 1941, Serial No. 422,391

Claims. (Cl. 176-32) This invention relates to methods and means Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of a for making electro-mechanical connections. socket for the lamp of Fig. 4 drawn to the same The invention has particular application to enlarged scale as Fig. 5; the type of connection which is made between a Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view taken from the receiving socket and the base of an electric lamp; 5 plane l-l of Fig. 6; or between a socket and a fuse plug; and while Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view to enas will be apparent hereinafter my invention has larged scale of a fuse plug embodying my inother uses, it will for illustrative purposes be devention; scribed herein as applied to these particular 7 Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view to magnified scale uses. 10 of a part of Fig. 2.

Heretofore it has been customary to provide on Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, I an electric lamp, a base for mechanically and have shown my invention as applied to an in electrically. connecting the lamp to a socket. candescent lamp of generally conventional type One such base is of the screw thread type and and comprising a bulb portion l and a threaded the lamp is screwed into a socket; in another base portion 2. The screw threads 3 are formed type of lamp the joint between the lamp base on the glass of the base portion 2. The lower and socket is of the bayonet type of joint; simiend of the base portion is closed by a glass end lar types of joints and connections are provided wall 4. The entire glass structure comprising for fuse plugs, and other devices. the bulb I, threads 3 and end 4 is all preferably In all such devices, the base and socket comformed as an integral unit of thin walled glass prises, generally speaking, relatively telescoped as shown. While illustrated as of one piece of generally cylindrical shells of sheet metal such glass, obviously it may be made as an integral as brass, one shell being on the base and the unit from wall pieces fused together. other in the ocket, The exterior surfaces of the threads 3 have It is one of the objects of this inventionto formed thereon a metallic layer or skin 5, heatprovide a method and means for making an fused into the glass surface; and the preferred electro-mechanical connection such as that remethod for forming such Skin is as follows. ferred to in which such sheet metal shells are There are certain commercial pastes or liquid eliminated, and with a corresponding saving in preparations containing salts of the noble metals material and manufacturing cost; 5.0 such as platinum, gold, silver, in a liquid vehicle Another object is to provide generally an im= such as oil. Their principal use has heretofore proved electro-mechanical connection of the general class referred to;

Another object is to provide an improved method for making an electro-znechanicai con n of the class referred to.

@tner objects he to those the art to whi 1 my invention ap invention fully disclosed in the fol v1-5 description taken inconnection with the accoinpanying drawing which, ans c0 t Fig. i is an elevational View of a lamp en--= metal he bnajying my invention; glass; have a glass-like surface; and they Fig. 2 is a fragmentary View of part of the are high Q resistant to abrasion; and at the same lamp of l in longitudinal section and to time, as 3 have found, they are electrically con- Tnent glass or ceramic ware with this or other decorative patterns. died with a brush or otherwise re glass in a thin layer and dried then heated. After cools the color and general appeartal itself. sides have the properties of both they are apparently fused with ,ss surface the molecules of the rged or mixed with those of the "led enlarged scale, and illustrating additionally a ducting. and 5010181 a e so y and firmly step of the process of making the lamp; thereto; and metal elements may be soldered Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a t etcsocket for receiving the lamp of Fig. l and em- In making the p referred to above, a heatbodying my invention; 5Q fused metal layer 01 Skill 5 is by this process ap- Fig 4 is an levati nai view of another type f plied on the exterior surfaces of the glass threads lamp embodying my invention; 4-4. Successive applications of the process may Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view of a part of the be made to provide a thickened skin if desired.

lamp of Fig. 4 in longitudinal section and to Th filament 5 of t 1 has conducting enlarged scale; wires I and 8 connected thereto. The wire 1 is brought out as at 9 through both the glass wall, and the metal skin 5 at a point spaced below the upper termination of the skin, and, exteriorly of the bulb, lies upon or adjacent to the skin. Solder I is then applied and adheres to both the metal layer and the wire, making an electrical and mechanical connection therebetween.

In the drawing, this skin is shown as a layer of metal actually superimposed upon the glass surface, but this is for illustrative purposes only; and because of the impracticability of illustrating the fused skin to the scale of the other parts of the figures. If the glass wall thickness were magnified, the wall and its skin would appear somewhat as in Fig. 9 where as shown'the skin is substantially flush with the glass surface and merged therewith.

While the above described process is the one preferred, an inferior metallic skin or layer but one which. may suffice in some cases, may be formed on the glass surface by the known metal spraying process, particularly if the glass is first heated to or approaching the fusing temperature. Such sprayed on skins 0r coats do not adhere as solidly to the glass, as those formed by the preferred process, and are more easily abraded or scraped off.

Skins formed by either process adhere to or are fused with the glass surface by the action of heat and it is thought that they can both be tomary in lamp manufacture. In fact the wire could just as well pass through a hole larger than itself; because the hermetic seal at this point is made by the solder l0 and metal layer 5; that is to say, the metal layer or skin 5 is integral with and sealed to the glass on a relatively large area surrounding the wire, and the solder adheres sealingly to the wire and also to the metal layer on a relatively large area. The wire preferably projects for a substantial distance beyond the glass wall, and if a puddle of solder of substantial size is applied as shown, an hermetic seal results.

Non-porous solder is preferred, for example pure of the liquid metal'preparation, as requiredfor a lamp as above described, is exceedingly small even if the metal is platinum or gold; and a considerable saving over the formed brass threaded shell of the conventional lamp is efiected; and by the elimination of the process step of providing the usual pinch to seal the filament conducting wires through the glass wall, a still further reduction in production cost is effected.

The same or a similar saving in cost may be effected in making a socket for the lamp of Figs. 1 and 2, if desired, such a socket being shown in Fig. 3, and it is believed that a brief description thereof will sufiice in view of the more complete description of the lamp.

The main body M of the socket is molded from glass or material having a glass-like surface to which the said metal skinwill fusingly unite or adhere. It has a hollow threaded tubular opening at l5, the inner threaded wall of: which has as at IS, a layer or skinof metal, asdescribed above. A conductor I'i. projects into a molded pocket [8, and is secured tothe body by a screw or rivet i9. Solder 20 fills the pocket and adheres to the conductor I! and metal-layer or skin l6, electrically and mechanically connecting them. A terminal 2! is connected to the screw or rivet IS. A resilient conductor 22 has its end 23 disposed axially of the threaded opening l5 and is connected to the body by a screw or rivet 24 to which a terminal 25 is connected.

When the lamp of Figs. 1 and 2 is screwed into the opening IS, the metal layers or skins on the lamp and socket threads make electrical connection upon each other, and the protuberance l2 of the lamp makes electrical connection with the resilient conductor at 23 in the usual manner. Here also a saving in cost of production is effected by elimination of the usual threaded brass shell in the socket.

In Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7, is illustrated the application of my invention to lamps having bayonet-type bases and sockets, such for example as automobile lamps.

This lamp has a cylindrical tubular base 26 closed at the end by a glass end wall 21, integral with the glass bulb 28. A metal layer or skin 29 is applied to the outer surface of the base. A metal pin 30, has a metal head 3| in the form of a disc which conforms to the cylindrical shape of the base, and the head 3| is soldered to the skin 29 to attach the pin to the base.

One filament wire 32 is brought out through solder and skins as described for the lamp of skin ll;'and this solder seals the opening l3 at v which the wire passes through the glass, so that,

as described for the wire I, it is not necessary to fusingly seal the wire to the glass.

The bulb as a whole can now be evacuated in the usual manner, and for this purpose a tube is fused to the bottom-of a cup-like recess 56 in the lower end wall 4 by which connection with the evacuating pump may be made; and after evacuation is complete the tube may be sealed off leaving the usual nipple 51. The recess may be filled with any suitable filler 53 such as sealing wax.

A lamp made as described above can be screwed into an ordinary conventional socket to make electro-mechanical connection therewith in the usual manner. I

The quantity and cost of the metal component Figs. 1 and 2.

Such a lamp eliminates the base shell and the pinch of the conventional lamp as mentioned above. The lamp may be used in the conventional metal socket of the bayonet type, or if desired, it may have a socket embodying my invention as shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

A molded body 31 of glass or ceramic material with which a metal layer or skin will fuse or adhere when applied as above described, is provided with a cylindrical walled opening or recess 38 coated on the inside with a metal layer or skin 39. The wall has an L-shaped slot 40 extending through the wall and the metal layer or skin, for receiving the pin 30 of the lamp in the manner of the usual bayonet type joint.

A terminal connector 4| is connected to the metal layer 39 by solder 42 in a molded pocket 43, and a resilient connector 44 has its end disposed co-axial of the opening 38.

The lamp of Figs. 4 and 5 may be inserted in the socket of Figs. 6 and? and turned to secure it therein in the usual manner.

My invention may also be applied to fuse plugs 7 face, and they are provided with a skin or layer 48 as described hereinbefore. A cavity 49 contains a fuse 50 one end of which projects through an opening 5| in the wall and is there connected by solder 52 to the metal layer or skin 48-. The other end of the fuse is connected to a pin 53 mounted in a fibre or like disc 54 which is pressed into a recess in the end of the plug, the pin having a central head 55 externally of the disc. 5

Such a plug again eliminates the usual threaded sheet metal shell; and such a plug may be screwed into the usual socket provided for such plugs; or thesocket may be made similar to that of Fig. 3.

My invention is not limited to the exact details illustrated and described. Changes and modifications may be made and my invention is inclusive of all such which come within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An incandescent lamp structure comprising a glass walled bulb proper, continuing into a tubular glass base portion closed by a glass endwall; the bulb proper and base portion being evacuated, a layer of metal integral with the outer surface of the base portion; a layer of metal integral with the outer surface of the end-wall and spaced from the metal layer on the base portion; a filament in the lamp bulb; an opening through the wall of the base portion and through the metal layer thereon; a conductor connected to the filament and extending through the opening; fusible metal joining the conductor to the metal layer and sealing the opening; a second opening through the end-wall and metal layer thereon; a second conductor connected to the filament passing through the second opening; and fusible metal joining the second conductor to the second layer and sealing the second opening the sealings effected by the fusible metal constituting the sole means for sealing the conductors with respect to the glass wall of the bulb proper and base portion.

2. An incandescent lamp structure comprising a glass walled bulb proper continuing into a tubular glass base portion having an external screw thread molded thereon and closed at its end by a glass end-wall; the bulb proper and base portion being evacuated; a first layer of metal integral with the thread; a second layer of metal on the outer surface of the end-wall integral therewith and separated from the first layer; a filament in the lamp bulb; an opening through the wall and first metal layer at a point near the base of the thread; a conductor connected to the filament and extending through the opening and joined by fusible metal to the first metal layer on portions thereof surrounding the opening and thereby sealing the opening; a second opening through the end-wall and through the secondlayer; a second conductor connected to the filament and passing through the second opening; and fusible metal joining the second conductor to the second layer on the portions of the layer surrounding the opening and thereby sealing the second opening the sealings effected by the fusible metal constituting the sole means for sealing the conductors with respect to the glass wall of the bulb proper and base portion.

3. An incandescent lamp structure comprising a glass walled bulb proper continuing into 8. cylindrical tubular glass base portion, closed at its end by a glass end-wall; electrically separated layers of metal on the outer surfaces of the base portion and end-wall and integral therewith; openings extending through the glass of the wall and respectively through the metal layers; lan'ip filament conductors projected respectively through the said openings and joined to the metal layers by fusible metal on portions of the metal layers surrounding the openings, the fusible metal thereby sealing the openings; and a laterally extending pin secured to the metal layer on the base portion by fusible metal.

4. An electric bulb structure comprising an evacuated glass walled bulb; a first layer of metal integral with the outer surface of the bulb; a second layer of metal integral with the outer surface of the bulb and spaced from the first layer; an electrode in the bulb; a first opening through the wall and first layer; a conductor connected to the electrode and extending through the first opening; fusible metal Joining the conductor to the first metal layer and sealing the first opening; a second opening through the wall and second metal layer thereon; a second conductor connected to the electrode and passing through the second opening; and fusible metal joining the second conductor to the second layer and sealing the second opening; the sealings effected by the fusible metal constituting the sole means for sealing the conductors through the wall of the bulb.

5. An electric bulb structure comprising an evacuated glass walled bulb; a layer of metal integral with the outer surface of the bulb; an electrode in the bulb; an opening through the wall of the bulb and through the metal layer thereon; a conductor connected to the electrode and extending through the opening; fusible metal joining the conductor to the metal layer and sealing the opening; the sealing effected by the fusible metal constituting the sole means for sealing the conductor with respect to the glass wall.

PALMER H. CRAIG. 

